Pakistan fast bowlers have a tradition of first unveiling their menacing intent in Australia. The last two men who did this were named Imran Khan and Wasim Akram. Now there is a new kid on the block answering to the name of Mohammad Aamer. By an ominous coincidence, Aamer has taken a five-for in a losing cause in Melbourne, something Imran and Wasim also did.

Ominous, because after Imran took 5 for 122 in a 1977 Test that Pakistan lost to Australia by 348 runs, he went on to take those 12 wickets at Sydney that stand out as one of the great milestones in Pakistan's cricket history. Wasim's gratification was more delayed but no less grand. In early 1990 he took 6 for 62 and 5 for 98 in a Melbourne Test that Pakistan still lost. Two years later he was back in Melbourne, this time to be crowned Man of the Match in a World Cup final.

For the budding fast bowler, a tour of Australia offers an unparalleled growth curve. The pitches are hard, the atmosphere intense, the competition unforgiving. There is no more utterly sink-or-swim scenario in world cricket. Imran first came here in late 1976 with a reputation
as a bits-and-pieces allrounder capable at best of wayward medium-pace.

He returned a few weeks later recognised as one of the foremost fast bowlers of the world. Wasim came here as an unknown in early 1985 and immediately took 5 for 21 in a crucial one-day tie against Australia.

"Everyone had to sit up and take notice," says Brian Murgatroyd of Cricket Australia in an ESPN documentary on Wasim. It marked the beginning of a career that would see Wasim counted among the great fast bowlers of all time.

Mohammad Aamer hails from Gujjar Khan, a town of about 70,000 that you pass on the motorway going from Islamabad to Lahore. Seventy thousand may seem substantial, but in Pakistan, a country of 160 million, it's the boonies. Now, however, it is on the cricketing map. This is where Aamer learned his bounding leap and wind-up action, and his ability to slant it
across the right-hander down the corridor of uncertainty. Presumably, this is also where he picked up an attitude, including a tendency to mock impertinent batsmen by throwing flying kisses down the pitch. Less clear is where he picked up his disregard for renown. Before a Champions Trophy match against India a few months earlier, Aamer announced his desire to
dismiss Sachin Tendulkar, and before this Melbourne Test he told Ricky Ponting to beware of the short-pitched delivery. Mission accomplished, in both cases.

He lacks the typical fast bowler's height, but a demon like Malcolm Marshall wasn't particularly tall either. And he is not fully adept at bringing it in to the right-hander, but even Imran took a while before he began moving it both ways with equal ease.

Most importantly, Aamer has shown he is full of fight. In a recent ODI against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi, he came in at 86 for 8 and posted the highest score ever by a number 10. The point is not so much that he is a capable batsman - although he did play some fine groundstrokes - but that he has a lot of heart. Certainly, a five-for in Australia on an unsporting wicket shows that he has the potential to get on top of any team.

He is still only a teenager. Although his official age of 17 may be under-reported, you can tell just by looking he is not a day over 19, at the most. Already he can clock at 150 kilometers per hour. In the coming months, he will put more meat on that thin, almost wiry frame, and learn
more tricks. The evidence suggests Aamer is preparing to fill the shoes of a fabled fast-bowling dynasty that has preceded him. If history is any judge, they will take him far.

hey there is a lot of difference b/w crkceit baseball,crkceit is so popular but baseball is less than crkceit .Baseball-Maximum of 3 legal pitches,Consists of 9 players.Batting order:PredeterminedCricket:Balls/Pitches allowed per batsman: Only limited by the number of balls bowled in a matchFlexible.Consists of 11 players

Gilliana
on February 1, 2010, 2:48 GMT

I think this kid Aamer is one of the best Pakistani fast bowlers I have seen in the past sixty years of watching test cricket. At ths tender age he has definitely shown more potential as a bowler than Imran when he first came to Australia. This kid will learn well and when he fills out he will touch speeds of 155+. I am definitely be looking forward to see this young lad once again when the Pakistanis tour Down Under again. Ameer needs another young left hand fast bowler to give Pakistan a lethal combination.
I can only see greatness in Aamer and wish him a brilliant future. Insanallah, I wish to see the day.

Gilliana
on February 1, 2010, 2:46 GMT

I think this kid Aamer is one of the best Pakistani fast bowlers I have seen in the past sixty years of watching test cricket. At ths tender age he has definitely shown more potential as a bowler than Imran when he first came to Australia. This kid will learn well and when he fills out he will touch speeds of 155+. I am definitely be looking forward to see this young lad once again when the Pakistanis tour Down Under again. Ameer needs another young left hand fast bowler to give Pakistan a lethal combination.
I can only see greatness in Aamer and wish him a brilliant future. Insanallah, I wish to see the day.

Aadith Iyengar
on January 23, 2010, 7:14 GMT

He's a talented bowler,but Sharma bowled quicker in Australia & excessive cricket's made him a 130-135k bowler.PCB will make or break his career.
There seems to be some confusion over the ranking system.The rankings in cricket aren't like the stupid tennis(ATP) ranking system where whoever plays more games ends up with most points.When you lose,you lose points & hence your 'rating'.So it's not quantity of games played that is all important like in tennis where Safina gets ahead of serena williams(& there are other examples),it's who you win or conversely,who you lose against,ie. quality of results,that is important.So essentially,each team scores points based on the results of their matches.
Each team's 'rating' is equal to its total points scored divided by the total matches and series played.Also,the ranking reflects performance of only the last 3 years.Series played in the first two years of the three-year limit count half; essentially, recent matches are given more weight.

Saeed
on January 14, 2010, 12:33 GMT

In response to Shafqat hindustani.
I am laughing over your over the top comments about India's numero uno status. Man, you are living in lala's paradise. It's time to wake up. Can you tell me one series in which India played against Australian team that had Mcgrath, Warne and Lee??? I will tell you, remember the 99-00 series of India's down under? ha, India lost that series 3 nil. And then no doubt India won that series in India vs Australia coz of harbhajjan singh but that was in home conditions. Besides this India has not won a series in South Africa or Australia and now only has started to beat black caps in their den, something which Pakistan always did it with great ease.And for your information Pakistan beat South Africa in their last trip like India did.
You are misssing a lot of facts, but I will ignore you as you seem to have taken interest in Cricket only recently. Perhaps some more growing up will help ;)
love

pranesh
on January 2, 2010, 15:07 GMT

@waterbuffalo : I dont recall pakistan beating anyone in the last few years, save 1 test against new Zealand. And read newspapers or cricinfo first. Aamer's out. Real bowling attack and Mohd Sami : what a joke.

Ishrat
on January 2, 2010, 11:10 GMT

Well said Water buffalo start the debate and then fizzle it out by giving the list of your favorites. LOL the number of posts just shows how passionate we are about our cricket. Aamer or any other fast bowler is a cause to celebrate as the mere sight of someone clocking 150 clicks and being aggressive is what the cricket fans want to see. There is a dearth of good fast bowlers and with many of them on the injury list the entire galaxy is never at show. Could you imagine a line up including a fully fit Shoaib Akhter, Mohd Zahid and Aamer alongwith Asif (One dreams) so come on guys celebrate the fast bowlers bowling short of a length moving the ball and staring at the batsman. BTW loved THE SPELL Sharma Versus Ponting

Mohammed Moizullah
on January 2, 2010, 8:41 GMT

Guys......cool down.... have seen all ur comments...

I know ind/pak has a long rivalry but whats the use if we throw some idiotic comments here... lets wait n watch what these players are capable of when they meet...dont know when...?

Ofcourse both countries had great legends of their time but lets see what this new bunch of youngsters can do to help their respective countries win big events...

I pray for both countries youngsters that they maintain the consistency in their game and make the nation proud of them...and just not get carried away by the hype created by audience and mostly these corrupted selectors of both countries...

may allah bless these youngters with great and successful future ahead..

Mohammed Moizullah--India

waterbuffalo
on January 2, 2010, 7:36 GMT

@ invisible, you are right my friend, nicely put. To my Indian friends constantly harping about Number 1. I don't recall India beating Australia in Australia. To be no.1 you have to do what Taylor and co did in the Windies in 95, beat the best team in the world at home. AUS beat Windies in Windies, until you beat Aus in Aus, don't talk to me about Number 1 in the world. You have no idea what it means. In closing I would like to add that my favourite Batsman in the world is Sehwag and my fav Captain Dhoni, so take it easy, guys, don't be so sensitive. Watch the three Pakistani bowlers tomorrow, Aamer, Asif, and Gul and see what a real bowling attack looks like.

mqi
on January 2, 2010, 5:06 GMT

I would not give much importance to the performance of Amir and Umar till they play 15-20 matches. They have started very good, but that can be dangerous for paki players. Just see the attitude of Shoeb Akhtar and how he became bad history maker in cricket arena. See how Asif went straight up with his wonderful bowling and then came down sharp with his drugs. I do not like Amir's too much celebration and his head band. Likewise, I did not like Umar's pointing hand to his captain in one of the matches. These are not decent attitude for making a great players. They are very young and they should learn by following players like Lara, Ponting, Tendulkar,Mcgrath and others like them. Pakistan's fans, do not hype these youngstars as many like them has become dark horse within a year in the past. Thay have a long way to become anyone close to Imran/Miandad/Wasim/Wakar/Inzi/Yousuf/Younus. Stop comparing with these group.

Tom
on September 7, 2012, 21:49 GMT

hey there is a lot of difference b/w crkceit baseball,crkceit is so popular but baseball is less than crkceit .Baseball-Maximum of 3 legal pitches,Consists of 9 players.Batting order:PredeterminedCricket:Balls/Pitches allowed per batsman: Only limited by the number of balls bowled in a matchFlexible.Consists of 11 players

Gilliana
on February 1, 2010, 2:48 GMT

I think this kid Aamer is one of the best Pakistani fast bowlers I have seen in the past sixty years of watching test cricket. At ths tender age he has definitely shown more potential as a bowler than Imran when he first came to Australia. This kid will learn well and when he fills out he will touch speeds of 155+. I am definitely be looking forward to see this young lad once again when the Pakistanis tour Down Under again. Ameer needs another young left hand fast bowler to give Pakistan a lethal combination.
I can only see greatness in Aamer and wish him a brilliant future. Insanallah, I wish to see the day.

Gilliana
on February 1, 2010, 2:46 GMT

I think this kid Aamer is one of the best Pakistani fast bowlers I have seen in the past sixty years of watching test cricket. At ths tender age he has definitely shown more potential as a bowler than Imran when he first came to Australia. This kid will learn well and when he fills out he will touch speeds of 155+. I am definitely be looking forward to see this young lad once again when the Pakistanis tour Down Under again. Ameer needs another young left hand fast bowler to give Pakistan a lethal combination.
I can only see greatness in Aamer and wish him a brilliant future. Insanallah, I wish to see the day.

Aadith Iyengar
on January 23, 2010, 7:14 GMT

He's a talented bowler,but Sharma bowled quicker in Australia & excessive cricket's made him a 130-135k bowler.PCB will make or break his career.
There seems to be some confusion over the ranking system.The rankings in cricket aren't like the stupid tennis(ATP) ranking system where whoever plays more games ends up with most points.When you lose,you lose points & hence your 'rating'.So it's not quantity of games played that is all important like in tennis where Safina gets ahead of serena williams(& there are other examples),it's who you win or conversely,who you lose against,ie. quality of results,that is important.So essentially,each team scores points based on the results of their matches.
Each team's 'rating' is equal to its total points scored divided by the total matches and series played.Also,the ranking reflects performance of only the last 3 years.Series played in the first two years of the three-year limit count half; essentially, recent matches are given more weight.

Saeed
on January 14, 2010, 12:33 GMT

In response to Shafqat hindustani.
I am laughing over your over the top comments about India's numero uno status. Man, you are living in lala's paradise. It's time to wake up. Can you tell me one series in which India played against Australian team that had Mcgrath, Warne and Lee??? I will tell you, remember the 99-00 series of India's down under? ha, India lost that series 3 nil. And then no doubt India won that series in India vs Australia coz of harbhajjan singh but that was in home conditions. Besides this India has not won a series in South Africa or Australia and now only has started to beat black caps in their den, something which Pakistan always did it with great ease.And for your information Pakistan beat South Africa in their last trip like India did.
You are misssing a lot of facts, but I will ignore you as you seem to have taken interest in Cricket only recently. Perhaps some more growing up will help ;)
love

pranesh
on January 2, 2010, 15:07 GMT

@waterbuffalo : I dont recall pakistan beating anyone in the last few years, save 1 test against new Zealand. And read newspapers or cricinfo first. Aamer's out. Real bowling attack and Mohd Sami : what a joke.

Ishrat
on January 2, 2010, 11:10 GMT

Well said Water buffalo start the debate and then fizzle it out by giving the list of your favorites. LOL the number of posts just shows how passionate we are about our cricket. Aamer or any other fast bowler is a cause to celebrate as the mere sight of someone clocking 150 clicks and being aggressive is what the cricket fans want to see. There is a dearth of good fast bowlers and with many of them on the injury list the entire galaxy is never at show. Could you imagine a line up including a fully fit Shoaib Akhter, Mohd Zahid and Aamer alongwith Asif (One dreams) so come on guys celebrate the fast bowlers bowling short of a length moving the ball and staring at the batsman. BTW loved THE SPELL Sharma Versus Ponting

Mohammed Moizullah
on January 2, 2010, 8:41 GMT

Guys......cool down.... have seen all ur comments...

I know ind/pak has a long rivalry but whats the use if we throw some idiotic comments here... lets wait n watch what these players are capable of when they meet...dont know when...?

Ofcourse both countries had great legends of their time but lets see what this new bunch of youngsters can do to help their respective countries win big events...

I pray for both countries youngsters that they maintain the consistency in their game and make the nation proud of them...and just not get carried away by the hype created by audience and mostly these corrupted selectors of both countries...

may allah bless these youngters with great and successful future ahead..

Mohammed Moizullah--India

waterbuffalo
on January 2, 2010, 7:36 GMT

@ invisible, you are right my friend, nicely put. To my Indian friends constantly harping about Number 1. I don't recall India beating Australia in Australia. To be no.1 you have to do what Taylor and co did in the Windies in 95, beat the best team in the world at home. AUS beat Windies in Windies, until you beat Aus in Aus, don't talk to me about Number 1 in the world. You have no idea what it means. In closing I would like to add that my favourite Batsman in the world is Sehwag and my fav Captain Dhoni, so take it easy, guys, don't be so sensitive. Watch the three Pakistani bowlers tomorrow, Aamer, Asif, and Gul and see what a real bowling attack looks like.

mqi
on January 2, 2010, 5:06 GMT

I would not give much importance to the performance of Amir and Umar till they play 15-20 matches. They have started very good, but that can be dangerous for paki players. Just see the attitude of Shoeb Akhtar and how he became bad history maker in cricket arena. See how Asif went straight up with his wonderful bowling and then came down sharp with his drugs. I do not like Amir's too much celebration and his head band. Likewise, I did not like Umar's pointing hand to his captain in one of the matches. These are not decent attitude for making a great players. They are very young and they should learn by following players like Lara, Ponting, Tendulkar,Mcgrath and others like them. Pakistan's fans, do not hype these youngstars as many like them has become dark horse within a year in the past. Thay have a long way to become anyone close to Imran/Miandad/Wasim/Wakar/Inzi/Yousuf/Younus. Stop comparing with these group.

AIMAL SIDDIQI
on January 2, 2010, 4:37 GMT

HI its me aimal from kabul.about aamer i can say he needs improve alot and learn from wasim akram how to swing the ball to right handed batsman and lift handed batsman so right now he is on a mission to save pakistan from losing the test matches.

Dr. Hasan
on January 2, 2010, 4:16 GMT

Yeah Aamer is a find indeed, dont rest him PLEASE, let him play, let him play as much as he wants, but dont over burden him in tests and PLEASE for God's sake dont go into the Sydney test with two pacers only, it would be RIDICULOUS, as much as the Sydney wicket spins its not going to be a dirt bag pitch like we sometimes see in India/Pak, so use some common sense, get in Danish, leave out Ajmal, and get in Gul for Rauf, hard call on Ajmal but heck, its gotta be done. LOL as for waterbuffalo you are pretty right, Indian bowlers and Pakistan batsmen probably are in competition for who is worse, as the fielding is pretty much equally bad! I mean Pak havent put up 400 in a test innings since God knows when, albeit their lack of test matches does have a part to play there and India nearly lost defending 420 somthing, albeit it was a dead pitch! Still both need to get going in these formats to be truly competitive on all surfaces & conditions.

naqeeb alvi
on January 2, 2010, 3:45 GMT

that's the difference between Indian and Pakistan fast bowler when Indian fast bowler come in international cricket they ball around speed of 140 - 150
the problem of Indian bowler is after playing few matches speed is decreases very rapidly
see irfan pathan , zahir and ishant
this problem not with Pakistani bowler if we see amir
when he come he bowled speed of 135 now he touch 150
but its too early to compare amir with wasim n imran just like irfan people start comparing irfan with wasim

Vatsa
on January 2, 2010, 3:34 GMT

Aamer and Umar are both very good prospects for Pakistan. But let us pls not destroy things before they are even established. Comparing them with Imran/Wasim or with Majid Khan or other Pakistan greats is useless right now. Consistency is the key. Here's to many more success for this young duo.

Nasir
on January 2, 2010, 2:52 GMT

It's too bad we draw the bad blood even off the pitch! someone shudn't have brought national rivalry in context to this article. Let's just hope off pitch incidents and on pitch mishaps don't kill an exciting talent of world cricket who is such a joy to behol and who is of such a rare breed!

MG
on January 2, 2010, 2:06 GMT

Ishant Sharma was clocking 150kmph many times in Aus..Even Sreesanth was easily bowling in 145-148 in SA..I dont know when was the last time you saw Indian cricket..Check your facts..Aus never defeated India even when Steve Waugh at his prime..Infact India almost won 2-1 in 2004 in Sydney..when Rain saved Steve Waugh's face on 5th day..just like Pak in Napier against NZ..Even in the T20 World Cup that PAK won..we defeated PAK by 9 Wickets..I challenge you in furture years you'll be always under-dog against India..Mark my words...

gully raja
on January 2, 2010, 2:05 GMT

im from gujjarkhan and aamer has made me proud i think if he prosists and keeps trying he will one day become a legend congrats india on becoming no1 test team id rather you then aus im a pakistani

Masud Kader
on January 2, 2010, 0:03 GMT

Ameer is really a gem to watch. A star has born. He must be well supported by greats like Imran, Wasim amd Waqar

Arjuna Desilva
on January 1, 2010, 23:52 GMT

Wow ! what a hyped up bunch. He took 5 wickets in second inning and went wicket less in first and now we are made to believe he is Malcolm Marshal.
Anyone can bowl 150 on australian wicket; Isahnt did, Kemar Roach did, heck even your own Sami did. What use is 150 went batsman dispatches it with 250.

saqib
on January 1, 2010, 23:04 GMT

No doubt that amir and umer are two very talented individuals and its true that they have a long way to go before they can be refrred to as the greats of the game because no matter how special their talents may be it is a players journey that makes them great or bygones. Never the less theres not a single cricket loving soul out there that would not be excited at the prospect of these two very special cricketers.However there is another very important reason for these two to stand out in the current series and that is having no pre concieved notions about playing in the australian enviroment or their on field reputation of being the big bad bullies of the cricketing world. Sometimes having no precerprtions can be a good. Thing in cricket, Pakistan will be successful so long as they stick to the basics bat with technique and heart like umer and bowl with attitude and aggression like amir. Let's play.

sajid
on January 1, 2010, 21:54 GMT

No doubt Aamer has potential to be a complete cricketer and asset for Pakistan!! I am afraid that we will lose this talented cricketer like we lost in the past due to the politics and prejudice of the so-called "Gurus" of cricket.

Thakur Baldev Singh Chauhan
on January 1, 2010, 21:32 GMT

He is a good prospect and that is about it. I think some one mentioned that india only wins on dead Indian pitches I guess Perth and Headingley are considered dead indian pitches too : ) The day Aamer comes across Sehwag; we will know for sure wheather he has any skill or is it all smoke.

salman ahmad
on January 1, 2010, 19:22 GMT

well,as it is long history of pakisatan to produce the mystery of great fast bowlers, like M. zajid, Shahid nazir in the same way pakisatan has also produce fast bowlers from no where like wasim, waqar or imran khan, with very tiny experience even at domestic lvel. So, in case of aamer it is too early to say that aamer is something lke sohail tanvir who is no where now. now, comparing pakisatan and india in terms of cricket, these both natios has gott the history opposite interms of producing fast bowlers (pak) and producing great batsmen (ind). And in the last why india is at num 1 curently is just bcoz the experience they have got. in my opinion, thsi indian side is perhaps the currrent most experince cricketing nation in the world. also, the no of test matches that pakisatn has played since 2006, is the other reason why pak is far behind than india or any other cricketing nation. also, playing tests at home and away are two diff things. and pak is playing no international cricket al

H
on January 1, 2010, 18:32 GMT

Saad Shafqat bhai, I read your articles more than anyone else's, your words drench words courage and a positive attitude for Pakistani cricket, I wish there were more Pakistani writers like you. I also hope that you can knock some sense into PCB and the selection committee.

H
on January 1, 2010, 18:15 GMT

Bottom line is that cricket is still cricket, Whether Amer or Sharma, just appreciate what the athletes bring to us. I can assure you that, when a few years ago, the seniors' team came to Toronto, none of them gave a damn of anyone's background. I presented my Pakistani jersey to Sunil Joshi and as a joke said "Aap is par autograph sign karna mind toh nahi karreinge?". His reply was "nahi, aisi koi baat nahi, jo be hota hai field par hota hai, off the field hum sab dost hein". They noticed our appreciation for the game and that's about it. So stop bantering about who does what, sure there is a rivalry amongst Indo/Pak but take it in a healthy manner. I wanted to say one thing though Ishant is not consistent with pace, Amer is and he is climbing the clock, where as the former has a few bursts and thats about it. Whether anyone wants to admit or not Pakistan does have a better fasting bowling record than India, we'd also like to have a Sachin too though.

mk49
on January 1, 2010, 16:42 GMT

Haven't we seen this story before? Akhtar - fell victom to his own vanity. Asif - fell victim to his own stupidity. Sami- fell victim to his own mediocrity. For the sake of Pak. and world cricket I hope Aamer is the next best thing - better still I hope he wins this series for Pak. If he does I will join in the celebration. Till then I will wait and watch.

invisible
on January 1, 2010, 16:06 GMT

waterbuffalo you have gotten under some people's skin and they are now itching.......

ashtung
on January 1, 2010, 15:59 GMT

@KM: dude... get a life... how does India come in to picture? In any case, India has done quite well abroad too else we wouldn't be No. 1 right now... You guys drew a series against NZ while India won 2-0 against them with those 130kph bowlers...

I really hope Aamer does well cos there's no better sight than see an off stump cartwheeling but Pak has had a history of broken promises.. The last 2 who were feared by batsmen retired in 03 and there was a string of such prospects hence.. Please dont jump the gun here...

REHAN NAZIR
on January 1, 2010, 15:51 GMT

BUT I THINK AAMER SOM TIME DID MORE WELL FROM YOUR EXPECTIONS.
WHILE IF PAKISTANI COACH OR CAPTIAN GIVE LITTLE ATTENSION ON HIS BATTING. H0W TO PLAY CUT SHORT. HOW TO DRIVE A SPINER THEN HE MAY BAT AND PAKISTAN ASLO BE ABLO TO HAVE 5TH BOWLER. AND IT IS A GOLDEN TIME. IF
IT NOT HAPPEND AT ALL THEN PAKISTAN MAY LOSE AN ALLROUNDER.
FRM PAK ITS REHAN

REHAN NAZIR [JUST4CHAT.W2C.IN]
on January 1, 2010, 15:49 GMT

BUT I THINK AAMER SOM TIME DID MORE WELL FROM YOUR EXPECTIONS.
WHILE IF PAKISTANI COACH OR CAPTIAN GIVE LITTLE ATTENSION ON HIS BATTING. H0W TO PLAY CUT SHORT. HOW TO DRIVE A SPINER THEN HE MAY BAT AND PAKISTAN ASLO BE ABLO TO HAVE 5TH BOWLER. AND IT IS A GOLDEN TIME. IF
IT NOT HAPPEND AT ALL THEN PAKISTAN MAY LOSE AN ALLROUNDER

Anonymous
on January 1, 2010, 15:14 GMT

It is too early to judge amer as next wasim.he has to prove lot of things yet.he will sure over confident and his performance will suffer.while playing against india he will get hammered by sachin,sehwag&yuvraj.sehwag will destroy his career as he had made of mendis and remember saq mushtaq.

Indianfan
on January 1, 2010, 15:13 GMT

It is too early to judge amer as next wasim.he has to prove lot of things yet.he will sure over confident and his performance will suffer.while playing against india he will get hammered by sachin,sehwag&yuvraj.sehwag will destroy his career as he had made of mendis and remember saq mushtaq.

Shafaqat Hindustani
on January 1, 2010, 15:10 GMT

In response to the article posted by some joker KM who does not seem to understand what Cricket is...but still has gone ahead and posted some rubbish stuff...Let me tell u..India is the only cricket playing nation who has defeated SouthAfrica/Australia/Eng/West Indies & Newzealand/Pakistan in their own backyard....How many matches Pakistan has won outside Pakistan in the last 2-3 years...hardly any match...Also in the last 20 years Pakistans best batsman has been Inzamam...Against top teams (Australia & SoutAfrica - 1990-2005)he has scored just one Century....same is the case with Miandad who has 31.0 as an average against Australia and West Indies top two teams during his playing days...India has always performed better than Pakistan outside sub-continent..Pakistan has still not won any match against India....India is by far the best in the world currently better than Australia....and Pakistan with Amers and Akmals have a long long way to go.....

danish ahmed
on January 1, 2010, 14:48 GMT

Goodbye Shoaib Akhter, Mohammed Sami and welcome the new era of pakistan pace attack! i would like to see aamer opens the attack with sohail tanver. pakistan is never ever short of talent! Goodluck to aamer and pakistan team.

rajeev jha
on January 1, 2010, 14:11 GMT

yes without a -doubt on e can say that Aamer is really- really a intresting prospect to watch. But there are number of things that should be done by the selcetors from the Pakistan to preserve and use the potential of Aamer for pakistan. 1) As some one pointed out his match schdule should be loaded with 20-20 and one days in coming days. He shd be asked to come out a better crickets rather than only a effective bowler, I mean how you conduct into and off- to the field is also very important, players gets recognition because of their talent but also getting carreid away by the hype and hooopla and ulimate lost is loss of form.In a way social behaviour of budding talent like him shd also be taken care off. He is not a complete package, so some training on finer aspects of bowling shd be given to him by the former bowling grt like waqar younis on swinging delivery, Akram on reverse swing etc. I wish good luck to Aamer.

ruchit
on January 1, 2010, 14:09 GMT

@waterbuffalo:You seem to have a buffalo's brain. Where does India come into the picture. India with its 130 kmph trundlers is doing alright atleast better than Pakistan. Heck we are World #1 in tests. Even though that does not mean India is the best team it still shows it is doing quite well or atleast alrite.Pace is very important but there are other important ingedients to be a successful fat bowler. Aamir has a long way to go before Indians consider him to be any kind of threat. We did quite alrite against Shoaib after his initial successes and he was much quicker. Lat time Sohail Tanveer was also hyped up like this. Where is he now? Also Aamir alone is not going to win matches. You need batsmen as well for that and you hardly have any except Moyo and Younis and they also generally are good for saving matches rather than winning. Just like India can't find genuine pacers Pakistan can't find batsmen. And don't get me started on Umar Akmal. He is far from being labelled as great !

r p sing
on January 1, 2010, 13:54 GMT

@waterbuffalo..ishant clocked 150 kph in aus too..in the recently concluded series ishant registered 143 kph which is sharp..anyways even if aamer registered 151 kph pak lost the match..(as is their wont these days)...and even with their "130 kph" fast bowlers INDIA ARE NUMERO UNO

Km
on January 1, 2010, 13:53 GMT

Yea...
Amir is the next big thing..
Too bad India is ranked #1 but still has nothing to show outside INDIA..
They only fare well on DEAD indian pitches.

As for their fast bowlers...I don't count anyone worth counting. Pak has a history of FAST bowlers...look at them...Imran, wasim, Waqar, shoaib, asif and now aamer.

As for, ranking, Pak didn't get any test matches or ODIs this year, we got the least in the world, still did well. AUS n IND played the most.

r p sing
on January 1, 2010, 13:53 GMT

@waterbuffalo..ishant clocked 150 kph in aus too..in the recently concluded series ishant registered 143 kph which is sharp..anyways even if aamer registered 151 kph pak lost the match..(as is their wont these days)...and even with their "130 kph" fast bowlers INDIA ARE NUMERO UNO

r p sing
on January 1, 2010, 13:52 GMT

@waterbuffalo..ishant clocked 150 kph in aus too..in the recently concluded series ishant registered 143 kph which is sharp..anyways even if aamer registered 151 kph pak lost the match..(as is their wont these days)...and even with their "130 kph" fast bowlers INDIA ARE NUMERO UNO

SHAHID
on January 1, 2010, 13:15 GMT

Nearly half the number of fast bowler on world scene are lost totally or a part of their prime time through back injuries. The Fastes of the bowlers on face of this earth, Mohammad Zahid was the biggest loss for international cricket lover. I hope Aamer can sustain and be taken care of. He is a next big thing in the fast bowling department, not only for Pakistan but for whole the cricket world

pranesh
on January 1, 2010, 12:17 GMT

@Waterbuffalo : This is from India, should state first that a lot of Indians consider Umar Akmal and Aamer great talents. About your statement, that India should be happy with its 130k bowlers, yes we are happy with them, because we went to Aus last year and played much better cricket than you are doing right now. At the end of this series, despite their ignorance of the game, your selectors will commit hara kiri with your budding team. The world has a no.1 test team and its name is India :)

pranesh
on January 1, 2010, 12:16 GMT

@Waterbuffalo : This is from India, should state first that a lot of Indians consider Umar Akmal and Aamer great talents. About your statement, that India should be happy with its 130k bowlers, yes we are happy with them, because we went to Aus last year and played much better cricket than you are doing right now. At the end of this series, despite their ignorance of the game, your selectors will commit hara kiri with your budding team. The world has a no.1 test team and its name is India :)

Sharafat Hussain
on January 1, 2010, 11:37 GMT

I think we are jumping the guns too early...Amer is a good future prospect whose age is under reported to be 17. However comparing him with the great Wasim or Imran at this stage may be too early.Whem Sami had entered to world cricket he was also nippy and people had started making comparisons.Umar and Amer have a long way to go still...I dont agree they have proved their worth still..When Amer takes 100 wickets and Umer scores 3000 runs then we can say yes they are the finds...scoring one or two centuries and taking 20 or 30 wickets in a series does not make any body great...Imran Khan / Wasim Akram /Waqar /Miandad/Inzamam Murli/ Sachin/ Kapil/Gavaskar/Kumble/Warne/Ponting/Lillee/Border/Steve Waugh/Botham /Marshal/Richards/Roberts/Holding/Hadlee/M. Crowe.These guys achieved greatness after lot many matches and after proving time and again that they are really the best.So pls dont make a mountain of a performance where one takes a 5 wicket hall or scores a century.long way to go...

Rizwan Farooq
on January 1, 2010, 7:23 GMT

i think he must put more attention on his bowling but now days he is already involve in some aggression in the dressing room and he must controll his emmotions when he get any wicket

Irfan Hasan
on January 1, 2010, 6:54 GMT

I agree he shows a lot of potential and will improve with time. However, I am just appalled by PCBs strategy of making him play every single Test, ODI and T20 ever since he has come in to the fold. Does no one understands the risks involved with injury, God for bid, a serious injury?
We have a new kid and PCB needs to secure him, both physically and mentally. He should be given breaks before he needs one.

waterbuffalo
on January 1, 2010, 5:43 GMT

Watching Aamer bowling at 151 kph from around the wicket and dismissing 5 australian batsmen was the most beautiful thing I have seen in years.
The commentators loved it and one could see already in NZ, that he was going to be a force to be reckoned with. Hey India, are you watching? Enjoy your 130 k bowlers, Pakistan has a real fast bowler and his name is Mohammed Aamer. Pretty good nightwatchman too? Ah, the fearlesness of youth. I hope he does not put on too much weight, we have seen many bowlers lose a yard or two of pace because they got heavier. Look at the bowlers from England, Anderson, Broad, Onions, all thin as a rake. Aamer should maintain the sort of frame that the English bowlers have. Let the fast bowlers from other countries get fat.

No featured comments at the moment.

waterbuffalo
on January 1, 2010, 5:43 GMT

Watching Aamer bowling at 151 kph from around the wicket and dismissing 5 australian batsmen was the most beautiful thing I have seen in years.
The commentators loved it and one could see already in NZ, that he was going to be a force to be reckoned with. Hey India, are you watching? Enjoy your 130 k bowlers, Pakistan has a real fast bowler and his name is Mohammed Aamer. Pretty good nightwatchman too? Ah, the fearlesness of youth. I hope he does not put on too much weight, we have seen many bowlers lose a yard or two of pace because they got heavier. Look at the bowlers from England, Anderson, Broad, Onions, all thin as a rake. Aamer should maintain the sort of frame that the English bowlers have. Let the fast bowlers from other countries get fat.

Irfan Hasan
on January 1, 2010, 6:54 GMT

I agree he shows a lot of potential and will improve with time. However, I am just appalled by PCBs strategy of making him play every single Test, ODI and T20 ever since he has come in to the fold. Does no one understands the risks involved with injury, God for bid, a serious injury?
We have a new kid and PCB needs to secure him, both physically and mentally. He should be given breaks before he needs one.

Rizwan Farooq
on January 1, 2010, 7:23 GMT

i think he must put more attention on his bowling but now days he is already involve in some aggression in the dressing room and he must controll his emmotions when he get any wicket

Sharafat Hussain
on January 1, 2010, 11:37 GMT

I think we are jumping the guns too early...Amer is a good future prospect whose age is under reported to be 17. However comparing him with the great Wasim or Imran at this stage may be too early.Whem Sami had entered to world cricket he was also nippy and people had started making comparisons.Umar and Amer have a long way to go still...I dont agree they have proved their worth still..When Amer takes 100 wickets and Umer scores 3000 runs then we can say yes they are the finds...scoring one or two centuries and taking 20 or 30 wickets in a series does not make any body great...Imran Khan / Wasim Akram /Waqar /Miandad/Inzamam Murli/ Sachin/ Kapil/Gavaskar/Kumble/Warne/Ponting/Lillee/Border/Steve Waugh/Botham /Marshal/Richards/Roberts/Holding/Hadlee/M. Crowe.These guys achieved greatness after lot many matches and after proving time and again that they are really the best.So pls dont make a mountain of a performance where one takes a 5 wicket hall or scores a century.long way to go...

pranesh
on January 1, 2010, 12:16 GMT

@Waterbuffalo : This is from India, should state first that a lot of Indians consider Umar Akmal and Aamer great talents. About your statement, that India should be happy with its 130k bowlers, yes we are happy with them, because we went to Aus last year and played much better cricket than you are doing right now. At the end of this series, despite their ignorance of the game, your selectors will commit hara kiri with your budding team. The world has a no.1 test team and its name is India :)

pranesh
on January 1, 2010, 12:17 GMT

@Waterbuffalo : This is from India, should state first that a lot of Indians consider Umar Akmal and Aamer great talents. About your statement, that India should be happy with its 130k bowlers, yes we are happy with them, because we went to Aus last year and played much better cricket than you are doing right now. At the end of this series, despite their ignorance of the game, your selectors will commit hara kiri with your budding team. The world has a no.1 test team and its name is India :)

SHAHID
on January 1, 2010, 13:15 GMT

Nearly half the number of fast bowler on world scene are lost totally or a part of their prime time through back injuries. The Fastes of the bowlers on face of this earth, Mohammad Zahid was the biggest loss for international cricket lover. I hope Aamer can sustain and be taken care of. He is a next big thing in the fast bowling department, not only for Pakistan but for whole the cricket world

r p sing
on January 1, 2010, 13:52 GMT

@waterbuffalo..ishant clocked 150 kph in aus too..in the recently concluded series ishant registered 143 kph which is sharp..anyways even if aamer registered 151 kph pak lost the match..(as is their wont these days)...and even with their "130 kph" fast bowlers INDIA ARE NUMERO UNO

r p sing
on January 1, 2010, 13:53 GMT

@waterbuffalo..ishant clocked 150 kph in aus too..in the recently concluded series ishant registered 143 kph which is sharp..anyways even if aamer registered 151 kph pak lost the match..(as is their wont these days)...and even with their "130 kph" fast bowlers INDIA ARE NUMERO UNO

Km
on January 1, 2010, 13:53 GMT

Yea...
Amir is the next big thing..
Too bad India is ranked #1 but still has nothing to show outside INDIA..
They only fare well on DEAD indian pitches.

As for their fast bowlers...I don't count anyone worth counting. Pak has a history of FAST bowlers...look at them...Imran, wasim, Waqar, shoaib, asif and now aamer.

As for, ranking, Pak didn't get any test matches or ODIs this year, we got the least in the world, still did well. AUS n IND played the most.